Television antenna rotator



April 9, 1963 J. R. COLLIER TELEVISION ANTENNA ROTATOR Filed Aug. 12, 1960 United States The present invention relates to television antennas generally and in particular to a rotator for a television antenna.

In some localities, reception of television broadcast signals is possible from many directions. In fringe areas, highly directional antennas are necessary if good reception of the signals is desired. Presently in use are antenna rotators employed to rotate the pull of a television antenna so as to turn the antenna to the position in which the best reception of signals is found. The rotators presently in use are expensive, complicated to install and service, and are not entirely foolproof in operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hand actuable rotator for a television antenna which is simple in structure, one which lends itself to mounting upon either flat or slanting roofs and on the roofs of various pitches, and one which is highly effective in action.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a television antenna ro-tator which is sturdy in construction, one having long-life characteristics, one permitting the enclosure of the antenna line therein, and one which is economically feasible.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in section of a portion of a dwelling with the rotator of the present invention installed upon the roof thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, with portions of the antenna pole support broken away; and

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the reference numeral designates the roof of a dwelling 12, the roof having an opening 14 (FIGURE 3) therethrough.

-A base 16, having an aperture 18 extending therethrough, is fixedly mounted on the roof 10 with the aperture 18 in registry with the roof opening 14.

The base 16 consists in a dome-shaped element 20 having a skirt 22 depending from the perimeter thereof and a flange 24 extending about the lower end of the skirt 22. The flange 24 is provided with conventional means for securing it to the roof 10'.

The base 16 includes an arcuately curved plate 26 adjustably mounted on the dome-shaped element 20 by means of bolts 28 received in any one of a plurality of holes in the dome-shaped element 20. This structure of the plate and element 20 permits the erection of the device of the present invention on roofs of various pitches.

A base element 30, in the form of upstanding ring 32 having an outwardly flared skirt 34 depending from the lower end thereof, is bolted to the plate 26 by the same bolts 28 which secure the plate 26 to the dome element 20.

Surmounted upon the ring 32 is a support 36 having a skirt 38 depending from the lower end thereof. The skirt 38 totally encloses the ring 32 and is supported thereon by means of stud bolts 40 received in an annular groove 42 extending about the lower end of the ring 32.

The support 36 has an axial bore 44 extending therethrough in which is received the lower end portion of an antenna pole 46 which is hollow and has its lower end atent G portion of square configuration in cross section, as shown in FIGURE 2. The pole 46 is connected to the support 36 for rotation with the latter.

The upper end of the pole 46 carries an antenna 48 of conventional construction.

A vertically disposed staff 50 extends slidably through the roof opening 14 and the aperture 18 and has the upper end portion 52 slidable upwardly and downwardly in the lower end portion 54 of the pole 46.

On the lower end of the 'stalf 50 is a hand actuable crank 56 for manually rotating the staff 50. The crank 56 is interiorly of the dwelling 12 at a point accessible to a resident thereof.

The configuration of the upper end portion 52 of the staff 50 is the same as that of the lower end portion 54 of the pole 46 and this connects the staff to the pole for rotation with the pole.

The ring 32 is formed on its inner wall with the shoulder 58 which supports a disc 60 fixedly secured to the staff 50. A post 62 rises from .a portion of the disc 60 adjacent its perimeter and carries on its free end a downwardly facing plurality of teeth or dogs 64 (shown only in dotted lines in FIGURE 3) receivable in slots or notches 66 which face upwardly from the upper end of the ring 32.

A set screw 68 is screwed into a bore provided in the inner wall of the ring 32 and serves as a stop for movement of the post 62 more than three hundred sixty degrees in either direction.

In use, upon upward movement of the staff 50', a distance indicated by dotted lines in FIGURE 3 which shown the positions of the disc 60' and post 62 upon execution of upward movement of the staff 50, the dogs 64 may be released from the notches 66 and permit rotation of the support 36 by manually turning the crank 56. The dogs 64 and notches 66 constitute inner locking releasable lock means on the base 16 and on the staff 50* for holding the pole 46 in any position of its adjusted movement in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction as turned by the crank 56. After the pole 46 has been turned so as to point the antenna 48- toward the station which is to be received, release of the staff 50 permits the dogs 64 to be received in the appropriate notches 66 and the pole 46 will be locked against further rotation until the operation is repeated to turn the antenna pole 46 to a new direction.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with a dwelling including a roof provided with an opening, of an antenna assembly comprising a base having an aperture extending therethrough fixedly mounted on said roof with the aperture in registry with the roof opening, a support disposed upon said base and connected to said base for rotation about said base in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, a hollow vertically disposed pole extending upwardly from said support and having the portion adjacent the lower end fixed to said support, said lower end portion of said pole being in registry with said roof opening, a vertically disposed hollow staff extending loosely through the roof opening and base aperture and having the portion adjacent the upper end slidably received in the lower end portion of said pole and having the lower end portion at an accessible point in the interior of said dwelling, cooperatingmeans on said pole lower end portion and said staff tupper end portion connecting said staff to said pole for rotation with the latter, and interengageable releasable lock means on said base and stalf upper end portion for holding said pole in any position of rotational movement.

2. The combination with a dwelling including a roof provided with an opening, of an antenna assembly comprising a base having an aperture extending therethrough cl fixedly mounted on said roof with the aperture in registry with the roof opening, a support disposed upon said base and connected to said base for rotation about said base in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, a hollow vertically disposed pole extending upwardly from said support and having the portion adjacent the lower end fixed to said' support, said lower end portion of said pole being in registry with said roof opening, a vertically disposed hollow staff extending loosely through the roof opening and base aperture and having the portion adjacent the upper end slidably received in the lower end portion of said pole and having the lower end portion at an accessible point in the interior of said dwelling, cooperating means embodying cross-sectional con figurations of said pole lower end portion and said stafi upper endportions such as to connect said staff to said pole for rotation with the latter, and interengageable releasable lock means on said base and stati upper end portion for holding said pole in any position of rotational movement.

3. The combination with a dwelling including a roof provided with an opening,- of an antenna assembly comprising a base having an aperture extending therethrough fixedly mounted on said roof with the aperture in registry with the roof opening, a support disposed upon said base and connected to said base for rotation about said base in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, a hol-' low vertically disposed pole extending upwardly from said support and having the portion adjacent the lower end fixed tosaid support,'said lower end portion of said pole being in registry withsaid roof opening, a vertically disposed hollow staff extending loosely through the roof opening and base aperture and having the portion adjacent theupper end slidably received in the lower end portion of 'said pole and having the lower end portion atan accessible point in the interior of said dwelling, cooperating means on said pole lower end portion and said staff upper end portion connecting said staff to said pole for rotation with the latter, and interengageable releasable lock means on said base and staif upper end portion for holding said pole in any position of rotational movement, said last-named means embodying a horizontally disposed ring concentrically arranged with respect to the upper end portion of said staff and secured to said base, said ring having a plurality of notches arranged in spaced relation extending therearound, and a dog carried by said staff upper end portion receivable into and withdrawable from any one of said notches responsive to sliding downward and upward movement of said staff.

4. The combination With a dwelling including a roof provided with an opening, of an antenna assembly comprising a base having an aperture extending therethrough fixedly mounted on said roof with the aperture in registry with the roof opening, a support disposed upon said base and connected to said base for rotation about said base in clockwise and counterclockwisedirections, a hollow vertically disposed pole extending upwardly from said support and having the portion adjacent the lower end fixed to said support, said lower end portion of said pole being in registry with said roof opening, a vertically disposed hollow staff extending loosely through the roof opening and base aperture and having the portion adjacent the upper end slidably received in the lower end portion of said pole and having the lower end portion at an accessible point in the interior of said dwelling, a handactuable crank on the lower end-of said stafi, cooperating means on said pole lower end portion and said stall upper end portion connecting said staff to said pole for rotation with the latter, and interengageable releasable lock means on said base and stafi upper end portion for holding said pole in any position of rotational movement.

Baumann Sept. 20, 1927 De Conti June 23, 1953 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A DWELLING INCLUDING A ROOF PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING, OF AN ANTENNA ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BASE HAVING AN APERTURE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID ROOF WITH THE APERTURE IN REGISTRY WITH THE ROOF OPENING, A SUPPORT DISPOSED UPON SAID BASE AND CONNECTED TO SAID BASE FOR ROTATION ABOUT SAID BASE IN CLOCKWISE AND COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTIONS, A HOLLOW VERTICALLY DISPOSED POLE EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID SUPPORT AND HAVING THE PORTION ADJACENT THE LOWER END FIXED TO SAID SUPPORT, SAID LOWER END PORTION OF SAID POLE BEING IN REGISTRY WITH SAID ROOF OPENING, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED HOLLOW STAFF EXTENDING LOOSELY THROUGH THE ROOF OPENING AND BASE APERTURE AND HAVING THE PORTION ADJACENT THE UPPER END SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID POLE AND HAVING THE LOWER END PORTION AT AN ACCESSBLE POINT IN THE INTERIOR OF SAID DWELLING, COOPERATING MEANS ON SAID POLE LOWER END PORTION AND SAID STAFF UPPER END PORTION CONNECTING SAID STAFF TO SAID POLE FOR ROTATION WITH THE LATTER, AND INTERENGAGEABLE RELEASABLE LOCK MEANS ON SAID BASE AND STAFF UPPER END PORTION FOR HOLDING SAID POLE IN ANY POSITION OF ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT. 